Medusa

MEDUSA, one of the three Gorgonides, who, according to Ovid's amplification of the fable, was a most beautiful nymph, both in form and feature; but of all the charms with which she was gifted, none were more lovely than her luxuriant locks of golden hue. Neptune declared to her his passion in the temple of Minerva, who was so offended that she changed the hair of Medusa into serpents; and gave to this horrible image of deformity the power of turning into stone all who looked upon it. The beauty thus become a monster, fatal to all beholders, was at length encountered by Perseus, who cut off her head with the sword of Minerva; and that goddess placed the viper-tresses and the hideous countenance on her own redoubtable Aegis. - The head of Medusa appears on a Sestertius of Hadrian, bearing the legend of SICILIA. - Also on gold and silver of Septimius Severus, with the epigraph PROVIDENTIA, where the winged head of the Gorgon, bristling with serpents, is exhibited as the symbol of Providence.

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|Dictionary of Roman Coins|

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.MEDUSA, one of the three Gorgonides, who, according to Ovid's amplification of the fable, was a most beautiful nymph, both in form and feature; but of all the charms with which she was gifted, none were more lovely than her luxuriant locks of golden hue. Neptune declared to her his passion in the temple of Minerva, who was so offended that she changed the hair of Medusa into serpents; and gave to this horrible image of deformity the power of turning into stone all who looked upon it. The beauty thus become a monster, fatal to all beholders, was at length encountered by Perseus, who cut off her head with the sword of Minerva; and that goddess placed the viper-tresses and the hideous countenance on her own redoubtable Aegis. - The head of Medusa appears on a first brass of Hadrian, bearing the legend of SICILIA. - Also on gold and silver of Septimius Severus, with the epigraph PROVIDENTIA, where the winged head of the Gorgon, bristling with serpents, is exhibited as the symbol of Providence.